“…….”

“…….”

After both Hayley and Leoprick had left,

Vermerian Marquis was spending an uncomfortable time sitting face to face with his mother-in-law.

Of course, this situation would be uncomfortable, but the silence of not saying anything for a long time while keeping someone who was about to leave seated was also uncomfortable.

For him, who always had various conversations with people, this silence was not very familiar.

Especially if it was with family he hadn’t seen for a very long time.

Vermerian Marquis traced his upcoming schedule in his mind, gauging when he could get up without being greatly disrespectful.

While it was true he had a schedule, he couldn’t be rude to his mother-in-law whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

He tried to think that it wasn’t that he disliked his beloved wife’s only parent, but rather that his mother-in-law wasn’t an easy person to deal with.

After some more time had passed like that,

“You. Why didn’t you tell me Amelia was getting married?”

A heavy voice fell upon him sitting uncomfortably.

Asking why he hadn’t informed her of her granddaughter’s marriage.

It was a voice that seemed to have a slight anger embedded in it.

At the unexpected question, the Marquis felt momentarily dumbfounded.

Suddenly throwing such a question at a son-in-law she’s meeting after years, asking why he didn’t inform her about her granddaughter’s marriage?

Duchess Arthé, who left the empire not long after his beloved wife Jenit died, had been abroad ever since.

Not showing any interest in how the son-in-law left alone was struggling to raise their only daughter, or how much he was shedding tears inside while watching his daughter grow up.

Someone who never contacted once after leaving the empire was now reproaching him for not informing about Amelia’s well-being.

Vermerian Marquis couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh for a moment.

“I only recently found out where you were, Mother-in-law.”

“You didn’t know where I was?”

“How could I know when you didn’t tell me?”

Duchess Arthé was an elusive person.

Sometimes here, sometimes there.

How could he keep up and send letters to someone whose residence changed weekly?

He felt his face hardening involuntarily as he looked at the Duchess.

The old lady whom Jenit, whom he loved so much, loved dearly, but who didn’t look back at anything Jenit left behind.

“I’m sorry, but if Amelia hadn’t been suffering so much from morning sickness, there would have been no reason to look for you, Mother-in-law. There would have been no need to deliberately bring someone who was living comfortably.”

So, to him, Duchess Arthé was as good as non-existent.

Someone he didn’t want to think about much, nor had any reason to think about.

Because she was so immersed in her own emotions that she didn’t try to see anything left behind.

Vermerian Marquis suppressed his surging emotions and stood up from his seat.

“Haven’t we been living as if we didn’t exist to each other? So now, suddenly acting like family is… quite bewildering.”

He had thought wrong.

His daughter was suffering so much that he came all this way with a desperate mindset.

If it was going to be like this, it might have been better to thoroughly search through the records Jenit left behind.

“Please stay comfortably. I won’t be coming here again.”

The Marquis left those words and turned around to leave.

Before she could see the emotions threatening to engulf him.

The first place Leoprick and Hayley headed after leaving the safe house was, of course, the detached palace.

They had to quickly inform Amelia of this news.

The two arrived at the detached palace while discussing the process of finding Duchess Arthé and future plans.

“You’re here?”

Just as Hayley was suggesting they split roles, with her going to the kitchen and Leoprick to Amelia’s office, Betty suddenly appeared.

“Betty, where’s Amelia?”

Unlike Hayley who was startled, Leoprick asked as if he already knew, unfazed.

Betty, whose eyes were somehow sunken, looked back and forth between the two and shrugged her shoulders.

“In her office, of course.”

“Did something happen? Why do you look like that?”

Although the answer came as if it was obvious, her expression was far from alright.

When Hayley asked worriedly, Betty shrugged her shoulders again.

“Just keep in mind that Her Highness is in a very bad mood right now. She hasn’t eaten anything all day.”

“Nothing at all?”

“Yes. She couldn’t even drink the herbal tea she usually enjoys, and even though we prepared all her favorite foods from the kitchen and brought them, she couldn’t eat a single bite and sent everything back.”

Betty sighed heavily with a face full of worry.

She added in a bitter tone that the entire detached palace was in a state of emergency because Her Highness said there was nothing she wanted to eat.

“We’re currently looking for sour fruits or strawberries that pregnant women are said to eat well, but while we have some lemons and limes, it seems difficult to find strawberries. The kitchen is in complete chaos.”

Grumbling that it’s been impossible to even approach her due to the low pressure since Leoprick left, Betty looked at Hayley.

“Vice Commander. This is not the time to be standing around here. We need to search the entire empire if necessary to find anything good for morning sickness.”

“…Is it that serious?”

“If it wasn’t this serious, would the entire palace be in an uproar? Our Her Highness is usually such an easy master to serve.”

Betty shook her head.

She said everyone in the palace was restless and unable to sit or stand properly, and that they needed to find a solution, whatever it might be.

Leoprick, who had been listening to this for a while, seemed to think for a moment before moving his feet.

“Hayley. Go to the kitchen and instruct them to make vinegar, spices, sauces, and everything else with lemons, limes, or any sour fruit. And Betty, discuss with the merchants to procure any food that might be needed.”

“Yes, understood.”

“What about Your Highness?”

After Leoprick gave detailed instructions and started climbing the stairs, Betty hurriedly asked.

She had an anxious look, as if she sensed he was about to do something again.

Seeing that expression, Leoprick recalled the advice he had heard earlier from Duchess Arthé and put on a determined face.

“I’ll go see Amelia. I’m counting on you for the rest.”

This is really the worst.

I was sniffling and nibbling on one of the numerous dishes Betty had brought.

Perhaps because I hadn’t eaten anything all day, it went down much better than before.

Well, actually, it wasn’t that I couldn’t eat at all, it was half throwing a tantrum.

About Leoprick who suddenly disappeared, about my body and mind that kept not doing as I wanted.

After venting all my frustrations like that, saying I couldn’t eat anything, feelings of self-loathing rushed in.

So after crying for a long time after Betty left the room, I felt like I was coming to my senses.

After sniffling for a while, I suddenly felt hunger rushing in as I looked at the plates scattered around.

So that’s how I ended up in this situation now.

Why do I feel pathetic yet inevitable about myself suddenly eating like this now, when just until earlier I was throwing all sorts of tantrums saying I couldn’t eat?

Is this how it normally is when you’re pregnant, with your mood swinging back and forth and your words changing constantly?

Do you become such an unreasonable and pathetic person?

“…This is the worst.”

After emptying one plate while mumbling like that, I felt depressed again.

If it’s going to be like this until I give birth, I think I’ll really hate myself.

These wildly fluctuating emotions are not just for me to bear alone.

Starting from Betty who works by my side, to the palace people who have to serve me, and everyone I have to meet daily.

Everyone has to accept these inevitable emotions of mine.

Wouldn’t it be better to just do nothing then?

I don’t think I can endure myself being this unreasonable and emotional every time.

As I was sitting there glumly with a fork in my mouth, I reached out towards the strawberry shortcake that soon came into view.

While I really dislike myself for noticing such things in this situation, I’m glad that I think I could eat that.

Just as I picked up a plate and was nibbling again,

“Amelia. Are you in there?”

I heard the voice of the person who is the cause of my emotional ups and downs today and who made me like this.

But isn’t it strange?

Why do I feel a groundless sense of relief the moment I hear that voice, as if it would be okay to eat everything here?

And why does my heart, which was just going up and down, suddenly become sorrowful?

I heard others say they’re busy sticking close by, feeding and taking care of everything.

Why is that person always busy going here and there?

We made the baby together, but I’m suffering alone.

He doesn’t need to know anything, just stay by my side.

I bit my lip hard at the surge of sorrow welling up.